Saltburn is quickly becoming a real destination for foodies. With a plethora of independent restaurants and cafes, plus the local traders, makers, farmers’ market and super popular food festival, it’s a real hotspot for a bite to eat. But there’s something fabulous in store if you’re a cheese lover!
Saltburn Cheese Festival is making its debut this late March and cheese fans from across the region and beyond are invited. It’s shaping up to be a “grate” event, so I’m here to give you all the details that you need to know.
What is Saltburn Cheese Festival?
As the name might suggest, this festival to celebrate our local cheesemakers and give them a platform to showcase their artistry. This region is home to lots of fantastic cheesemakers and dairies, so they will be centre stage across the week of the festival.
Saltburn Cheese Festival is brought to you by the minds behind Saltburn Food Festival (and yes, the festival will be back this year too). As the food festival is so popular, they decided to really hone in on a specialist area, which ended up being cheese because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t like cheese? And so far, there’s been a really exciting buzz about it!
When is Saltburn Cheese Festival?
Saltburn Cheese Festival will be held across the town from Monday 20th – Sunday 26th March 2023.
What’s on at the festival?
I think the best way to describe Saltburn Cheese Festival is in two parts. There’s the cheese-themed events throughout the town from Monday 20th, then there’s the cheese market on Sunday 26th.
Many of the eateries around the town are getting involved and hosting their own cheesy events to get you in the spirit. This includes:
- A cheese-themed market menu at Brockley Hall
- Cheese and wine nights at Real Meals
- Pizzas made with local cheeses at No. 23 Milton Street
- Plus so much more at GoonDocks, Guns Bar, Rapps Cafe, Parlours Cafe Bar, Seaview Restaurant, Signals, Surf’s Up Beach Cafe, and Virgos Bistro.
Make sure you keep an eye on the Saltburn Food Festival Facebook page for more announcements about the cheesy events in the lead up to the cheese market!
The market on Sunday 26th March will be held 10am-5pm, and will be a culmination of all the cheesy events, giving you chance to do a bit of shopping and stock up your fridge. There will be a selection of cheesemakers, including:
- Yorkshire Dama Cheese – a wide range of cheeses, such as ricotta, labneh, goat’s cheese and halloumi
- Weardale Cheese – delicious hard and soft cheeses
- Lacey’s Cheese – a Saltburn Farmers’ Market fave creating cheddars to crumbly blues to Wensleydales
The market will also include a variety of traders with products to compliment your cheese purchases or products that are dairy-based. This includes Calder’s Kitchen and their piccalilli; Rosalind’s Larder and The Cheese Board for all kinds of chutneys and jams; Wass Farm Charcuterie with their own woodland pork charcuterie meat; Cheese Coterie for cheese-inspired gifts; The Northern Potter with her hand thrown cheese platters; Chapman’s Cheesecakes for a sweet treat; Stateside Treat Emporium and their chocolate goodies; Sawley Kitchen for all your biscuit needs; and Bee Natural Wraps for beeswax food wraps.
There will also be live music at the bandstand from 12pm-4pm, as well as Fresh Olives and Tap Garden nearby to keep your nourished as you listen to the tunes.
Sean Wilson cooking demos at Saltburn Cheese Festival
As if all of the cheesy events and the cheese market weren’t enough, you can also catch a bit of live cheese entertainment!
Ex-Coronation Street star and chef, Sean Wilson, will be coming along on Sunday 26th March for a bit of live cooking. After leaving the Street, he took up his passion for cooking, which has led him to work in several Michelin starred restaurants. At Saltburn Cheese Festival, he’ll be celebrating his newest cook book, Cheddar Gorged, and inviting you to see him bring a recipe to life. He’ll be holding cooking demos at 11:30am and 3:30pm, as well as a book signing!
If you’d like tickets to see Sean Wilson, please visit Eventbrite. The tickets are limited, so get them while you can!
Where will the cheese market be held?
The cheese market element of Saltburn Cheese Festival will be held indoors at Saltburn Community Hall (Windsor Road, Saltburn, TS12 1NN). Unfortunately, this building isn’t dog-friendly, so your four-legged friends will need to stay at home this time. However, you’ll be able to take them to the bandstand for a walk!
What else do you need to know about Saltburn Cheese Festival?
I’ve heard on the grapevine that For Sock Sake have produced a line of cheese-themed socks especially for this event, but I’ll update you when I know! But I think I’ve covered all bases now, but let me know if you have any other questions!
The only thing that’s left to tell you is to keep your eyes on all of the eateries’ social media to find out how to book their cheesy events and bring your pocket money to the cheese market. It’s set to be a really amazing week and I’m really looking forward to it!
What are you most excited for at Saltburn Cheese Festival?
